Optimal Fuel

Short-distance vs. long-distance

BY STEVE BORN

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to endurance
fueling. Depending on the duration or type of activity,
the nutrients you require for optimal performance vary.
Determining how much and what kind of fuel to use
during short workouts or all day races can be tricky.

60–90 minutes:
If you’ve been faithful with
consistent post-exercise refueling,
you’ll have a nice reservoir of fuel
(muscle glycogen) available when
you start. That means that minimal
amount of calories will be necessary
during your workout or race. A
single serving of Hammer Gel 5 to
10 minutes prior to the start should
be all you need. If you want to
refuel during the workout or race,
Hammer Gel, HEED, or a light
mix of Perpetuem will be perfectly
acceptable (regarding the latter, see
“Special Notes” below).

2–3 hours:
We consider workouts and races
in this time range to be in a “gray
area”, which means that you can
use either a “carb + protein” fuel
(Sustained Energy, Perpetuem,
“ultra” Hammer Gels) or a “carb
only” fuel (HEED, non-proteincontaining
flavors of Hammer Gel).
Base the selection on the following:

The type of exercise that
you’re doing. For example,
running is a higher-impact
and thus a more
“digestively
challenging” type of
exercise than cycling.

The intensity of
the effort. Higher
intensity oftentimes
means decreased
digestive system
functioning.

The weather. The hotter the
weather, the more compromised
the digestive system
becomes.

The terrain. Lots of
climbing while on the
bike or during a run
usually diminishes
digestive
capabilities
somewhat.

3+ hours:
When exercise
goes beyond 2 to
3 hours, you need
both carbohydrates
AND protein in your
fuel. This is because
during prolonged
bouts of exercise, 5
to 15% of your caloric
utilization comes from
protein. This process,
called gluconeogenesis,
is unavoidable. If you
don’t supply the needed protein
in your fuel, your body will
literally scavenge it from your
own muscle tissue. This muscle
breakdown is called catabolism or
“protein cannibalization.” It can
cause premature muscle fatigue
due to excess ammonia production,
muscle depletion, and post-exercise
soreness. Hammer Nutrition’s
protein-containing fuels, Sustained
Energy and Perpetuem, are ideal
choices for long-distance fueling.
You can use them as your sole fuel
from beginning to end, or you can
use them as your primary fuel
for roughly 2/3 to 3/4 of the time,
augmented with other Hammer
Nutrition fuels.

Remember, no matter the length
of your exertion, some universal
rules should always apply.
Recover right by giving your
body more carbs and protein
to restock glycogen stores.
This will ensure you have
them replenished for next
time. One should also remember
The 3-Hour Rule and pledge to
stop eating three hours prior
to the event. Together, these
fueling protocols from Hammer
Nutrition will help you reach
peak performance and have your
best year yet!